Word Study
ruminant
CIDE DICTIONARY
ruminant, a. [L. ruminans, -antis, p. pr.: cf. F. ruminant. See Ruminate.].
Chewing the cud; characterized by chewing again what has been swallowed; of or pertaining to the Ruminantia. [1913 Webster]
ruminant, n.
A ruminant animal; one of the Ruminantia. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
ruminant, n. & adj.
--n. an animal that chews the cud regurgitated from its rumen.
--adj.
1 of or belonging to ruminants.
2 contemplative; given to or engaged in meditation.
--n. an animal that chews the cud regurgitated from its rumen.
--adj.
1 of or belonging to ruminants.
2 contemplative; given to or engaged in meditation.
Etymology
L ruminari ruminant- (as RUMEN)
THESAURUS
ruminant
amphibian, aquatic, asinine, biped, bovid, bovine, canine, cannibal, caprid, caprine, carnivore, chewing, cogitative, cognitive, concentrating, concentrative, conceptive, conceptual, conceptualized, contemplating, contemplative, cosmopolite, cowish, cowlike, cud-chewing, deerlike, deliberating, deliberative, equestrian, equine, excogitating, feline, gnawer, goatish, goatlike, herbivore, hircine, hoggish, hoofed, horsy, ideative, insectivore, introspective, invertebrate, mammal, mammalian, manducatory, marsupial, marsupialian, masticatory, meditating, meditative, mental, mulish, museful, musing, noetic, omnivore, ovine, pensive, piggish, pondering, prehensive, primate, quadruped, reflecting, reflective, reptile, rodent, ruminating, ruminative, scavenger, serious, sheepish, sheeplike, sober, speculative, swinish, thinking, thought, thoughtful, ungulate, varmint, vermin, vertebrate, wistfulFor further exploring for "ruminant" in Webster Dictionary Online